Sonchus oleraceus L. Asteraceae (Sunflower Family) Europe Common Sow Thistle

                            February Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Erect annual, leafy-stemmed, mostly smooth and glaucous, rather coarse herb, 5-25 dm. high; lower lvs. petioled, 1-2 dm. long, lyrate-pinnatifid, the lobes lanceolate, spinulose-dentate, the upper lobe large and deltoid; upper lvs. reduced; auricles acute; invol. campanulate, 9-15 mm. high, the phyllaries few, thin, with many shorter ones at the base; fls. many, ligulate, yellow;  aks. longitudinally striate on each face, transversely rugose, 2.5 mm. long.

Habitat:  Common weed in waste places, gardens, etc.; Santa Catalina and Santa Barbara Ids. Below 1500 m. Blooms most months.

Name:  Greek, sonchus, the sow thistle and Latin, oleraceus, resembling herbs, vegetables.  (Jaeger 173,241).

General:  Very common in the study area.  Photographed on North Star Beach, at 23rd Street and on Back Bay Dr. northerly of Big Canyon.  (my comments).       Related to lettuce.  Natives of New Zealand, North Africa, Germany and Arabia seek the plant for food. After its introduction to North America, the Indians learned to relish the young plants.  As the plant matures, the bitterness increases and it must be boiled in two changes of water. A gum obtained from the bitter milky sap was once used to treat opium addiction.  Boiled like asparagus the stalks make a delicious vegetable.  If peeled, much of the gum is eliminated.  Greens have the same bitterness as endive or dandelion.  (Clarke 224,225).        The juice is bitter and diuretic as well as a powerful cathartic.  (ref. not recorded).      S. oleraceus has been known to accumulate free nitrates in quantities capable of causing death or distress in cattle. (Fuller 385).

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 344; Munz, Calif. Flora 1304; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 230; Roberts 13.

Photo Ref:  Feb 1 83 # 31A; Oct-Nov 83 # 6,23; Jan 2 84 # 15; May 1 88 #5.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.  

First Found:  February 1983.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 196.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 5/15/05.

                                 October Photo                                                            January Photo